Kick, Push

It's been a little over a week since the accident, but either way it's a huge bummer to be limited to doing only so much. In a way, I feel like I'm slowly losing sanity not being able to run, but I know patience can carry a person a long way. Still, it's not the greatest feeling only being able to lie around and study while being inactive. There's just no source of an outlet all of these stresses.

Interesting things have been going on over the week. My Public Speaking class requires its students to attend tutoring sessions in order to pass the class, and the dude that I was paired up with has to be one of the down-to-earth but laid-back persons I've met. Trying to connect, it surprised me to find that he'd been skating for eleven years and that a couple weeks ago he was skating down in LA with Daewon Song while they filmed for a video part. Something like that was definitely impressive to me to say it in the least. The guy was just so helpful and even offered to help me out with skating on his downtime. Since I haven't learned much and have been itching to get so much better, I suppose it's just another incentive to get better. Ever since college started I've slowly started to realize what my old high school teachers used to tell me about the most interesting and diverse type of people you'll meet during your time there. The world is a pretty small place when it comes down to it.

Can I Kick It?

I've been meaning to put these up for awhile since I bought them earlier this month. Just a little something I decided to treat myself to since my birthday was coming up. Sum it up short, I'm pretty content with how they came out. At least I was able to cross off one of my grails. Plus, it's always nice to have something comfy to commute around in on campus. Definitely wanting more runners. Next up on the list? Oh you know, Flyknits and Roshes.

Another Kind of Green

     When special events are up and coming I'm sure that many of us have a tendency to highly anticipate it.  Naturally, we build up the suspense and establish expectations of how it will all play out through the span of the day.  Of course, like the saying goes nothing is set in stone and all of our plans can be rewritten in a split second. So is life, we learn to adjust accordingly to the scenarios. It's all a part of being alive, isn't it?

     There's not a doubt in my mind that my nineteenth birthday will be a truly unforgettable one. You see, I'm that type of person who doesn't like to showcase many of my affairs, and my birthday is probably no exception--I like to keep it simple. I did set a few plans for that day, but nothing too wild. The way I envisioned it, the day would've went with a quick morning class, then I'd go on a nice 11 mile run just in time to meet my friend for some Vietnamese vermicelli for lunch, one of my favorite meals, probably stop by the mall where she could hook me up with a nice discount, then head home for the afternoon to get some personal reading time in, and finally end the night with some chicken katsu, another favorite, with my parents. A simple and laid-out way to spend a birthday, wouldn't you think?

     I wouldn't say the day took a turn for the worst at all, but it certainly didn't play out the way as expected.  In a nutshell, on the fourth mile of my run that morning I had to cross the street since there was construction going down on my side of the sidewalk. While jogging through the crosswalk, two cars sped right in front of me unexpectedly causing me to come to a halt, while going the opposite direction another car clipped me from the side going at about 35 mph causing me to slam into the pavement. 

     Luckily I was able to get up and walk out of the road to the sidewalk. My glasses and one of my shoes were knocked clean off of me. I was able to get help from some people who heard me calling out at the nearby park and the police along with the paramedics were able to arrive to the scene fairly quickly.

     It really is a scary thing being in that kind of situation. Time really does seem to slow down, while at the same time multiple things are going on at once all around you. Being in the ambulance was a pretty entertaining thing in all honesty. One of the paramedics treating me was a trainee with his teacher, and through the fears of being barely unable to move and the trauma, I was still able to crack jokes with everybody in the car. Make the best out of any situation, right? The ER was no different, most of the doctors and nurses were pretty accommodating, but having multiple needles shoved into you and being in pain is never fun. After a CT scan and a couple X-rays I was left with just a mild concussion, a couple minor scrapes on my elbows and knees, a major one on the right side of my face along with a small fracture on my right maxillary sinus. I spent a couple more hours in the hospital, but was able to go home that afternoon with my parents, which I hated worrying the most, especially with something coming so out of the blue on my birthday.

     Life up that point had been just peachy with little worries, and even after I still see little to complain about. I came out of it alive, didn't I? I've still got all my limbs and can move around on my own. That's the thing, I've always been considering that one has to make the best out of any situation. I was flattered that everybody, from the police to the paramedics to the doctors and nurses in the ER were acknowledging how polite I was being. For some reason I was able to smile through it all, regardless of the pain or trauma. If anything, this experience showed me that you really have to milk the best out of life as much as you can, as cliche as it may sound. Value the relationships you make, show the utmost gratitude with what you have, work hard, soak in other cultures, savor the foods you eat, and be proud of your accomplishments at the end of the day are just a couple minor things to make note of.

     Also it just gave me an overall greater appreciation for what running has done for me. All the confidence, strength and health it's provided me, the least I can do is contribute back and return with an even stronger vengeance and ambition after I recover. (And to my fellow runners out there, be careful! You can never be too safe).

A thought stuck with me as I laid in that ambulance... Just a little food for thought.

"Stand up and walk. Keep moving forward. You've got two good legs, so get up and use them."

- Edward Elric | Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood

On the bright side, the night before I did a quick stop by Rasputin with my homie Ronnie! Nothing special, just our typical shenanigans and him dealing with my usual indecisiveness.

Awesome of him to surprise me with my pick of the store for a birthday present! I thought some Coltrane seemed appropriate. Thanks a whole lot Ronnie!

What I find hilarious is that one of the hardest things for me to do was calling my best friend from the hospital having to cancel our lunch appointment.

Either way I think one of the most meaningful things that anybody has ever done for me is the fact that once she found out she visited me the very same day when I came home.

Thank you so much, Carla Esteves.

At least I'll never lose another eraser again.

Welcome to the family Coltrane! So glad to see the vinyl collection me and my Dad are slowly building up. Maybe once things finally settle down we can get that high end record player we've been meaning to purchase. Plus I'll get a personal one on my own of course.

Let's Move

Moving day for my family, the Villanuevas! Of course this sort of ordeal is a time for celebration and definitely needs a family effort. It's a bit bitter sweet in a sense to know they've left the apartment they've lived in for basically the whole lives of my cousins. I can recall those nostalgic days in my youth, spending Friday night dinners with them, drawing and playing with our video games and toys. Those were much simpler times. Not a care in the world. Now into my adolescence and adulthood those memories involve family barbecues and watching Pacquiao matches. Their apartment may have had tiny space, but there was always plenty of room for love and family. It's exciting to know they're moving up to bigger things and new experiences, which I hope they can see it less as a house and more as a place to call their new home.

Hollllaaa.

Reference Point

Many a day have I spent in this place, with long afternoon solo study sessions. I've kinda deemed it my second home in a sense.

The Heart of the Bay. Coming into my first year of college I hadn't anticipated much out of it. I developed a routine of showing up to class not bothering to say a word to anybody, actually believing I'd rinse and repeat that for four years. After the first quarter, a new year, and dimming down my ego, I finally had that change of heart and found that college is what you make of it, much like anything else, with plenty of interesting people and characters to meet.

This view from the rooftops of the iconic Warren Hall of Cal State East Bay--or rather I'd prefer to call it still by Cal State Hayward--is one of my favorite vantage points of the Bay Bridge. Peering the bridge in the distance, having a perspective of the city I've grown up in all of my life seems just the place to stop and stare for a while.

Auld Lang Syne

As another year opens itself to me, I recall the eventful year that has gone by. 2012 was really a year of opportunity, growth, experience and accomplishments. There's no primary motive, to say the least for myself, to establish a "resolution" for the year, since I prefer to treat every single day as a time for improvement and a strive to do more.

Here's hoping to a year of new relations, higher achievements, continuing joy, and numerous blessings.